Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-09-30
PATRONS OF HUsBANDRY.
MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.

Variety vi udilco, Uut Always win tbO
same object In view, men and organi-
cations have advocated and contended
for division of wealth of property. At
one time known as Agrarians, and in
these later days as Socialists and Com
munisrs. The Grange has ever antago
nized and set its face squarely against
any such doctrines, its members be-
lieving that progress can only be made
by building up and not by tearing
down. In its "Declaration of Pur-
poses." in all the many years of its ex-
istence, it has ever said, "In our noble
Order there is no communism, no agra
riansm." The latest communist is Mr..
Henry George. and the latest commun-
ism is his land theory. He advocates.
| and his thousands of followers advocate,
that private ownership in land be abol-
ished, that it shall be common to the
Government (the people,. That he has
followers is proven by the 6S,0U votes
he received for mayor of the city of
New York last fall. and he is now at the
head of State ticket with papers,
money, preachers and party advoca-
ting his communism, for it is commun-
ism as far as land is concerned. A full
Communist would abolish private own
ership in all property. He applies it,
at present. to land only, and therefore
it is direct blow at farmers, and leaves
| farmers almost alone to meet this old
enemy in a Pew form, and do battle un-
| til he is again overthrown.
A long argument, showing the un-
| fairness. the robbery, the piracy advo-
Gated by this new apostle of the Com
mune is impossible in a brief space.
But that farmers may know just what is
being said, may look upon the poison
pure and simple, and so come to recog-
nize and know their latest enemy, few
extracts from the writings of Henry
George will be given, and so out of his
own mouth we will condemn the wrong.
And certainly it is no misrepresenta-
ton if his own words are used:
"Private property in land is doomed"
"We must therefore substitute for indi-
vidual ownership of land common
ownership. We must make land COM
mon property
"There is no escape from it. We
must make land common property"
In another of bis writings Henry
George says-''ln the very nature Of
things, land cannot rightfully be made
individual property This principle is
absolute"
property in land is as indefensible
as property in man." and "the robber
that takes all that is left is private prop
erty in land" "If chattle slavery be
unjust then is private property in land
unjust" In his "Land Question:" he
says-"Here is system which robs the
producers of wealth as remorselessly
and far more regularly and systematic
ally than the pirate robs the merchant
men,"
In his "Social Problems" Henry
George says-"What more preposterous
than the treatment of land as individual
property? In every essential land diff
fers from those things, which, being
the product of human labor, are right
fully property. 1t is the creation of
God; they are produced by man.
"Land on which and from which all
must live. The recognition of the pri-
vate individual pro prietorships of land
is the denial of the natural rights of
other individuals. For as labor cannot
produce without the use Of land, the
denial Of the equal rights to the use of
land is necessarily the denial Of the
right of labor to its produce"
And Mr.. George does not even propose
to pay the present owners for their land.
In his Gland Question" he says: 81
have dwelt so long upon this question of
compensating landowners, not merely
because it is of great practical import
ance, but because its discussion brings
clearly into view the principles upon
which the land question in Ireland, or
in any other country, can alone be justly
and finally settled. In the light of these
principles we see that the landowners
have no rightful claim either to the land
or to compensation TO! its resumption by
the people; and, further than that, we
see that no such rightfnl claim can be
created. 1t would be wrong to pay the
present landholders for their land at the
expense of the people"
Mr.. Georges plan for getting the land
away from the people and making it
common property, is that all property,
except land, shall be exempt from tax
alton, and the taxes will then be so great
that farmers and landowners will glad
ly give up their private ownership rath-
er than pay all the taxes. In "Social
Problems" he says: "Were land treated
as the property of the whole people the
ground rent accruing to the community
would suffice for public purposes and an
other taxation might be dispensed with"
Again he says: 81 do not propose either
to purchase or confscate private prop
erty in land. The first would be unjust
the second needless. We may safely
leave them the shell if we take the kerr
mel. 1t is not necessary to confiscate